does anyone know the best way to do flop shots and which club you prefer around greens when pitching/chipping.. is it fine to use a 9 iron..
when i flop with my PW i usually hit the ball with the base of me club therefore sending it flying further away then before.. thanks..

it is fine to use basically any club you feel comfortable with around the greens as there are many shots you can play, with the flop shot i would hit a sandwedge and not a PW the sandwedge face opens up alot easier.

I use the LW to flop. Shawn Clement has a great video on the flop on youtube btw. Its not always the best option, remember that!

i agree with mrC i only use the flop if its the only shot playable eg/ need to hit it high and spin it onto a pin tucked close over a bunker etc. the flop shot in my armoury is used maybe once a round.

I play the flop with my 64 degree wedge :)

Open the stance, aim at the target (or just left) and swing along your feet – it’ll pop right up.

Oh, ideally use an angled or vertical hinge!

watch out for those dreaded shanks…...or skulls

i agree with mrC i only use the flop if its the only shot playable eg/ need to hit it high and spin it onto a pin tucked close over a bunker etc. the flop shot in my armoury is used maybe once a round.

Maybe this is why you aren’t comfortable with it. Use it more and you will get better and a LOT more accurate with it.

Agreed this is one of the hardest shots to hit, but that is why I practice it so much, if I can hit such a hard shot the easier ones come so much more EASILY…

And there’s nothing better than being able to hit a shot from three mt off the green and make it stop.

BTW I use a 64deg wedge for my floppies the big advantage to this is I can stand straight up to the ball without opening my feet, this gives me consistent setup and a consistent ball strike. The ball spins straight on line to, it doesn’t jump to the side, like an off spinner. it has genuine back spin that can be used.

is it the shot you will hit regardless cliff?

Fair enough I practice it but will only hit it if I need it.

If you can putt, putt.
If you can’t putt, chip.
If you can’t chip, pitch.
If you can’t pitch, flop shot*

although, consider running it through the bunker as well :-)

no I will hit other shots that I think are a better option, but it is the first shot I consider if I have open air and the day suits it. The greens have a lot of bearing too, for example I was playing Parkwood on the GC not long ago and at the 16th I had the perfect opportunity for the shot. Not what you would call a flop strictly speaking but a rose by any other name, I was 60m out, the green sloped back to front, the landing zone beckons at 2-3m directly behind the pin with backspin bringing the ball back to the hole. So I can choke my 64 and hit a full shot, the ball flies high and straight, landing 2-3m behind the hole, it didn’t stop at all, but released, not very far, only about a foot, but I was really pissed. When I got there I still had only a short birdie putt but it should have been a lot closer. The green was rock hard and I have been playing on bent for a long time, these aren’t bent. I marked the ball, and there were three neat tear marks in the Sirlyn cover where the club had gripped, so I knew it wasn’t my fault, the little dent in the green told me the story loud and clear…sometimes I hate this game. And yes i missed the putt…

So I suppose the moral of the story is I should have hit a low runner.

bingo

bingo

Its better to stay silent and look a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

– Mark Twain

Still doesn’t stop me hitting such a fun shot…;-)

cliffmanley, personally i think my flop shot is my most comfortable shot, i play it better than most i see, but i’d rather play a regular pitch then risk a skull.

I understand the point, this is one of the reasons I hit a 64, it means I don’t have to open the face of the club at all which lets the club contact the ball more cleanly, there’s no guess work if you know what I mean. Worst I have ever done on the course is to catch it a touch thin, which usually puts me around 10mt past the hole on a full shot.

In my defence at Parkwood that day it was the first time I had ever played that course….

Reverse roll hinging is the optimal in flopping! ;-)

watch out for those dreaded shanks……or skulls

If Tiger plays Lefty will he be that good ?
You sure Square is Good ? Don’t Think So !
Good Golf is Fun plus the Great Outdoors…
In the Bag: Clubs and Balls. My Handicap is Bad Golf.

When opening up a clubface it raises the heel off the ground slightly which can bring a shank into the equation. So it is therefore vital to lower the hands and shaft angle down so that the heel of the club is back on the ground. (You always see the top players do this in bunker shots – they get the shaft and hands down nice and low by more knee flex, not more spine bend otherwise that can damage the swing plane).

Also try a slightly weaker bottom hand grip – it can help keep more loft on the club face through impact and prevent going long and left on the shot.

Good luck

Also try a slightly weaker bottom hand grip – it can help keep more loft on the club face through impact and prevent going long and left on the shot.

Good luck

“Good swing technique is not something that has originated from the human mind. It is a result of the universal physical laws of force and motion that govern ALL MOVEMENT”. AlexS

Now that’ an interesting thought, I must try it next time i’m at the range…

Cliff Manley

3 bad shots and 1 good shot is still a 4....
Golf is played in a very small area, the 6 inches between your ears...

"Dont play too much golf. Two rounds a day is plenty." Harry Vardon

yes, the weaker left hand grip for flops is one I’ve utilised in the past.

What about the flop shot you pop up and catch – anyone else pull that off?

I can come close… still needs a diving forwards catch to take it though!

ooooo now there’s an interesting challenge…. I’ll get back to you…..

Yea I am working on my golf ball juggling more at the moment… best is 30. Although I only really practice while I am waiting on the tees.

Reverse roll hinging is the optimal in flopping! ;-)

AB,
I believe that most hitters would agree with you, however most swingers on this type of shot would disagree with your statement. I guess that is what makes this a wonderful journey.

Shouldn’t you use whatever works best? I swing sometimes, I hit others. Generally I just play golf ;-)

Well said A.b,
flop shots experiment, have a play around and work out what works for you, there is no wrong or right way, so long as you achieve the ball poping straight up in the air, what more can you ask for

Shouldn’t you use whatever works best? I swing sometimes, I hit others. Generally I just play golf ;-)

Yes AB, you should use whatever works best. That is why I posted that in general hitters would agree with your statement and swingers would disagree. My post was to try and help others reading this thread that might want to learn or improve this type of golf shot. There is a reason why what I posted is true, however I would venture that neither of you knows why. I forgot that what used to be a really fun and good forum has now become the Bio and AB forum and that a post’s relevance only counts in how it pertains to you two or if you agree with it. There are others that participate on this forum that deserve a lot more information than what you two can provide. If you don’t believe that my post was one of them, then prove me wrong.

HD, that’s a bit harsh, there’s lots of people on this forum put shit on me all the time….